Manifolding device



jam m, 1939. K 2,143,107

MANIF'OLDING DEVICE Original Filed Feb. 10, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m Q mm NW) m :1 W) o 0 3 0 J N o L N Q1 g E a J o 3 1| J f o F L W INVENTOR.

y W WW MgMf/Q ATTORNEYS.

Jan. 10, 1939. G. L. FULK 2,143,107

MANIFOLDING DEVICE Original Filed Feb. 10, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR.

BY 424% ZJM ATTORNEYS,

Patented Jan. 10, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MANIFOLDING DEVICEOriginal application February 10, 1936, Serial No. 63,282. Divided andthis application April 13, 1937, Serial No. 136,585

6 Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus for making manifold records, andespecially to a Web-feeding apparatus for feeding webs of papers tofacilitate the making of manifold record forms in which one time carbonsemployed for making a record on superimposed forms which are assembledand formed into a composite pack. The present invention is a division ofmy copending application for Letters Patent, filed February 10, 1936,assigned Serial No. 63,282, and entitled Machine and method for makingmanifold forms.

An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for makinga manifold pack, which will enable the interleaved record webs to beaccurately positioned relative to superimposed webs, so that the variouswebs may be secured together and severed into individual packs, in sucha manner that accurate registration of previously impressed data on oneweb, relative to previously impressed data on other webs, may be had inthe individual packs.

Another object is to provide an apparatus for feeding webs in such amanner that a plurality of webs may be fed, tensioned and superimposed,one on the other, and maintained in accurate registration with eachother.

Other objects of the present invention will become more apparent fromthe following description, reference being had to the drawings, in

which I illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention. The essentialfeatures of the invention will be summarized in the claims.

Referring now to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machinefor making manifold records, embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a view,illustrating the manner in which the superimposed record and transferstrips are assembled and severed into individual units; Fig. 3 is a sideelevation, partially in section of the portion of the machineillustrated in Fig. l, but shown on a larger scale than that illustratedin that of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a sectional detail taken through one ofthe web feeding drums.

The manifold pack, with which my invention is especially concerned,includes any number of record strips, such as, for example, thoseillustrated in Fig. 2, at l0, l1, l2 and 13, with interposed transferstrips |4, l5 and Hi. The record and transfer strips are fastenedtogether preferably with an adhesive along one edge and above aperforation line H, while the lower edges of the transfer stripsterminate above the bottom edges of the record strip.

This arrangement enables the operator to grasp the tab portion above theperforated line ll, with the thumb and forefinger of one hand and graspthe record strip with the overhanging portion beneath the lowermostedges of the transfer sheet, with the thumb and forefinger of the otherhand, and then to snap the two portions apart, thus leaving the detachedrecord strips as a unit in one hand, and the detached transfer strips asa unit in the other hand. The transfer strips are then discarded and therecord strips are filed for future use.

To make the pack illustrated at |8 in Fig. 2, I take rolls of recordstrips on which the desired forms have been previously printed, and Iprovide a series of openings along a longitudinal edge of the strip. Iutilize the openings for receiving projections on feeding rolls to holdthe strips in registration during the assembling operation. The recordstrip rolls are indicated in Figs. 1 and 3, at 30, as being freelymovable on individual supports, such as bars 3|.

The bars 3| are illustrated as extending laterally from a frame 32, andcorrespond in number to the number of record sheets required to form adesignated pack. Fig. 2 shows the arrangement on a somewhat largerscale, in which the record strips from each roll are fed betweenrespective rollers 33 and 34, which are powerdriven by an electric motor35 (Fig. 1). After the strips pass through their feed rollers, they passupwardly and around respective guide bars 36 and 31, after which theypass over respective drums 40. All of said drums, except that nearest tothe motor, carry radially extending pins 4|, that project into theopenings 25 which are arranged in a line adjacent the longitudinal edgeof each strip and which are in registration with the printed matter onthe webs.

A roll 45 bears against the upper side of the strip and has suitablerecesses 46 for receiving the pins 4| and coacting therewith to hold thewebs against the drums. In the drawings the thickness of the strips isgreatly exaggerated hence while it may appear that the pins 4| do notpass entirely through the perforations in the strips and enter therecesses in the rollers 45, they nevertheless do in actual practice.Each roll 45 is journalled at the free end of an arm 41 which is in turnpivoted at 48 on the frame; and the arm is provided with an adjustingmember 49, for adjusting the relative position between the roll and thedrum. As the record strip passes over its respective guide bar 36, anywrinkles, which may occur, are smoothed out by a brush 15 which bearsagainst the strip and is adjustably carried to vary pressure against thestrip. The brush is shown as being carried by a block 18 that ispivotally mounted on a support 11, and this support in turn is carried.by the frame ll.

The transfer strips are arranged to be inserted between the recordstrips, and to this end, I have shown transferstrip rolls 50 which arejournalled on bars I carried by the frame 32. The

web from each transfer roll is extended downwardly in a loop 52 in whicha weight 53 is cradled, thence upward around guide bars 54,

55 and 56, from whence it passes between the adjacent record strips andover a drum 40.

The transfer strips and record strips are connected together preferablyby adhesive during the assembling operation. This adhesive is applied bya roller 80, journalled in a container 6|, and positioned to contact theunderside of the record strip, which passes thereabove, as shown inFigs. 1 and 2.

As the record strips and interposed transfer strips meet the' drum l0nearest the motor, they pass down an inclined runway 60 along the upperregion of which an endless belt 6! is moved. The belt may be providedwith pins 62 projecting outwardly therefrom at regular intervals forengagement with the openings 25 of the record sheets, and similarlyspaced'pins G3 on the underside thereof, which engage openings 64 in thedrum 40 nearest to the motor. The projections on the belt are inalignment with those on the drums l0, wherefore the belt serves tocontinue the propulsion of the strips and holds them in registration sothat they may be sheared into individual uniform packs by a shearmechanism, such as is indicated, for example, in Fig. 1 at Ill.

Before the webs are sheared into individual packs the perforations 25,which are used only to insure proper registration and feeding of thewebs, are removed. This may be accomplished as indicated in Fig. 1 by arotary shear 1i, driven by a motor 12 and mounted on the shear table 13in any well known manner. This shear severs a strip containing theperforations from the webs as indicated in Fig. 2 at 26.

Each drum 40 is driven from the motor 35 and as shown, this motor isconnected by a driving belt or chain 65 with a shaft 66 carried by andextending longitudinally of the frame 32. This shaft is provided, atspaced intervals, with worm gears 6'! which are arranged to engage wormwheels 68 that'are drivingly secured to respective shafts 69 on whichthe drums 40 are mounted and which are journalled in the frame.

To enable the tension of the upper reach of the record strips to beadjusted, and to allow for a slight adjustment to accommodate anyinaccuracy in the spacing of the openings 25, I provide an adjustableconnection between each drum 40 and its associated driving shaft 69.This connection comprises an arm which is rigidly mounted on the shaft,as by a clamping screw BI, and which contains a slot 83 for receiving apin 84 that is fixed to the end wall of the drum. The relative positionof the pin within the slot may be varied and locked by adjusting screws85.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a simple andefficient web feeding mechanism for use in the manufacturing of manifoldrecord packs from elongated strips or webs, and that the feedingmechanism insures accurate registration of previously printed data onone form with similar or complementary data on another form.Additionally my invention permits the tension of the webs to be adjustedand minor discrepancies in the spacing of gauging perforations in thewebs to be compensated for from time to time.

I claim:-

1. In a machine of the character described. the combination of a recordweb roll, means for withdrawing a web of material therefrom, a drum overwhich the web is fed, means on said drum adapted to feed the web, adriving member on which the drum is free to move, a second record webroll, means for drawing a web of material therefrom, a second drum overwhich the second web is fed, a driving member on which the second nameddrum is free to move, means on said second named drum adapted'to feedthe second named web, both of said means being substantially the samewhereby the second named web will coact with the means on the firstnamed drum, to permit the passing of the second named web from its drumto the first named drum into a superimposed relation relative to thefirst named web, a common driving mechanism for said web drawing meansand said drum driving members, and means connected with said drums forconnecting such drums to their respective driving members, one of saidlast named means being arranged and adapted to adjust the angularrelationship between its respective drum and driving member.

2. In a machine for assembling manifold forms, a drum over which theforms are caused to move, a series of equispaced radially extending pinscarried by said drum in a single circumferential row and adapted tointerengage with a row of similarly spaced perforations in the web, adrive shaft on which said drum is free to rotate, an arm adjustablyclamped on said shaft and having an elongated arcuate opening therein, apin on said drum and extending into the opening in the arm, and meanscarried by the arm to adjust the position of the pin relative to the armto drive the drum and to adjust it angularly with reference to theshaft.

3. In a machine for assembling manifold forms, a drum over which theforms are caused to move, means on the drum adapted to feed the forms, adrive shaft on which said drum is free to rotate, an arm adjustablyclamped on said shaft and having an elongated arcuate opening therein, apin on said drum extending into the opening in the arm to drive thedrum, and means carried by the arm to adjust the position of the pinrelative to the ends of the arm to thereby adjust the drum angularlywith reference to the shaft.

4. In a machine for assembling manifold forms, the combination of a drumwhich is adapted to engage and move a web, means on the drum formaintaining synchronism in surface speed of the drum and web, a drivingshaft on which the drum is free to rotate, an arm disposed within thedrum and rigidly connected to the shaft, said arm extending radiallyfrom the shaft and having means adjacent the end thereof for adjustablyconnecting it to the drum.

5. In a machine for assembling manifold forms, a drum over which theforms are caused to move. means on the drum adapted to feed the forms,conveying means adapted to receive a plurality of similar forms, adriving member for the drum on which the drum is free to move,

means drivingly interconnecting the conveying means and drum drivingmember, and means for connecting the member to the drum and foradjusting the drum angularly with reference to the member, whereby theforms on the drum are held in registration with the similar forms on theconveying means.

6. In a machine for assembling manifold forms, a plurality of drumsspaced apart and over which a substantially continuous web of forms iscaused to move, means on each drum adapted to feed the forms, conveyingmeans adapted to receive the forms from each drum,

a driving member for each drum and on which the drum is free to rotate,a common driving mechanism adapted and arranged to rotate said membersin synchronism and to drive the conveying means, means carried by one ofsaid driving members for connecting such member to its respective drumand for adjusting such drum angularly with respect to its driving memberand means for connecting the remaining drums to their respective drivingmembers, whereby the forms from each drum are held in registration witheach other on the conveying means.

' GEO. L. FULK.

